Bold Buccaneers free agency predictions we hope to see happen
Chris Godwin re-signs on a rich but fair deal
This is obviously an ideal -- and slightly biased -- prediction, but all signs keep pointing toward Godwin coming back to Tampa Bay on a new deal. It seems like the route we are going to take to get their might be longer than what happened with Mike Evans last year, but the outcome still feels like it'll be the same for similar reasons.
Godwin's best position to succeed is with the Bucs. He knows the offensive system, he's beloved in the locker room, and he has a clearly defined role on a championship contending team. He might be able to squeeze a few more dollars our of teams like the Patriots or Jaguars, but neither of those places are nearly as close to a Super Bowl as Tampa Bay is.
If long-term goals are motivating Godwin, then the Bucs have the upperhand there too. Mike Evans is going to retire in the next few years and when he does the WR1 role will be Godwin's for the taking. He'll neatly slide into the lead spot of a duo with Jalen McMillan and will take over for Evans as a leader on offense.
This will come down to money, but the real deciding factor will be whether or not Godwin takes a little less to return to Tampa Bay and arguably the best place for him to succeed over the length of his next contract.
Jamel Dean will get traded for a mid-round pick
Among the first moves the Bucs made in free agency last year was trading away Carlton Davis III. It was a bit of a surprising move given that Tampa Bay doesn't usually make trades, let alone shipping off a starter who was a key part of a Super Bowl run not that long ago.
Davis had run his course in Tampa, though, and both sides needed a fresh start. He got that with the Lions and the Bucs were able to land a third-round pick for him that was used to draft Jalen McMillan. Everyone ended up a winner in the deal, which is why running the strategy back and trading Jamel Dean makes a lot of sense.
There's a chance Dean comes back and tries to recapture the magic he had a few years ago that led to him getting a fat new deal with the Bucs. However, he's been circled as a potential cap casualty all offseason and trading him for draft capital seems like the best way he can help the team.
Dean could also outright get released, although it feels like that would have happened already. Trading him is still on the table, and the Bucs getting a mid-round pick for him would be a huge win in addition to the money freed up by moving on.
Buccaneers will double dip in the edge rusher market
Already there's been a run on top edge rushers coming off the market, but the Bucs were never really going after those guys. Khalil Mack and Harold Landry III made sense as targets to help fill a giant need at pass rusher, but both inked bigger deals than Tampa Bay likely would have been comfortable paying.
Instead we could see something similar to what Jason Licht did with the offensive line last season. Rather than make an expensive splash, the Bucs mined the market for gold and ended up finding exactly that. Ben Bredeson didn't leap off the page as a top offensive line target, but he stepped up in a big way for Tampa Bay and just signed a new three-year deal as a result.
Rather than a Joey Bosa signing or Trey Hendrickson trade, expect the Bucs to look at the middle of the edge rusher market and potentially double up.
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